Hi Mary

I am afraid that you are correct about people's behavior.

However...IMO, I am a member of a club and we are not running a buisness here... we are hosting an event for the cat racing community. There is no racing if we don't pitch in to help run events and participate in the schedule we agree on.

In the good ol days .. Food was a hobie hot dog! Large numbers of racers meant that the fair weather sailors did not matter as much. Now, clubs arrange for real food and we have the same fixed costs as years ago.

IMO, the key here is being able to pay with your credit card on line. Quick, easy, secure... and the host club has a great idea of who is committed to racing and can plan accordingly. If circumstances are such that you can't make a commitment in time... you will always be able to register on the beach for whatever premium the club wants to charge. CBYRA Big boat events simply don't score you if you aren't registered because it's such a hassel for them. From their point of view... your crisis ... is not a crisis for us.

Cat sailors manage to preregister for the nationals, so a preregistration system should not be a problem.

Take Care
Mark